Incubator-tray.



PTBNTBD JAN. 7, 1908. J. E. FRANTZ. INCUBATOR TRAY. APPLIOATION FILED AUG.21,1906.

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`UNIIED STATES PAUIEN l @FFIQE JACOB FRANTZ,l OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

INCU'BATOR-TRAY.

no'. 876,051.y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

pplioation filed August 21, 190.6- Serial No. 331607.

To all whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, JACOB E. FRANTZ, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rock marily of a pair of rollers journaled at opposite ends of the tray, Ione at a higher altitude The shaft of one of 'the said rollers is provided with acranlr handle. An endless apron passses around the said rollers and by reason of the .difference in altitude of the said 'rollers the said apron is inclined at an angle to the horizon. lConsequently, when the eggs are deposited upon the upper surface of the apron they are maintained against each other by gravity and as the apron is moved and the eggs are turned none of the eg s may roll back and forth and consequent y break by coming in Contact with each other.

In the-accompanying drawingzwlligure 1 is a top plan view 'of the tray. Fig. 2 is a vertical-sectional view ol tue same.

The tray l is of usual. formation and is prof* vided at its opiosite ends with the .rollers 2 and 3. The roller 2 is journsled in the lw'er l'edge of the tray While the roller 3 is journaled in the upper portion there/oi; The shaft of the .a

rollerZ is provided with a oranlr handle .which is located upon the outer sides of the tray 1. The endless apron 5 passes around the rollers 2 and 'Ille-eggs 6 are plaeed upon the upper surface of the apron 5. Y

When it is'desired to turn the eg s simultaneously the operator grasps a lia-nr` le 4 and the apron r) turns the roller 3 and consequently I5 inoves longitudinally around t e rollers and 3and the egvs .6 are turned. By reason of the fact that the said eg s are maintained in inclined odluinns none o the eggs can jostle 0r turn back and forth as the f are moved and become cracked or injured. This advantage is due to placing the apron at an inoline. I am aware that horizontal aprons have been employed for turning eggs but the disadvantage of such aprons is that the eggs being supported on horizontal levels become separated and hence when turned may )ostle back and lortli and become 1n]ured or cracked, With my arrangement this disadl vantage is entirely done away with.

As the tray 'l is devoid of eggvdividing partitions the eggs (i are in actual contact with each other and are supported. upon the apron 5 only, which in turn sup' orted by the roll?. ers 2 and 3 only. Thus, 'tiie construction of the tray is sin'ipliiied and as each individual egg bears with its entire weight u 'on the apron sufficient `friction isal'orded lieto/'een each egg ano the apron to cause the egg to rotaie when the apron moves longitu nelly. This movement occurs even though the eggs dii'ler in diameter which is usually the case.

My device therefore differs in construction and principle over devices in which the inte rior area between the sides of the tray and'4 above the apron is vobstrrioterl hy egg-dividing partitions, for in auch devices transverser apron supports must be arranged under the upper portion of the apronand midwaybe tween the egg dividing partitions, otherwise eggs of small diameter would fall throughthe space between the ogg-dividinlr partitions and if a .sui'ljioient number should do so the weight thereof would reuse the upperportion of the apron to sag so that the eggs of greater diameter would not touch the same but would be held in. relatively' elevated ositionsby the egg-dividing partitions t 'erefore by' dispensing with the sgg-dividing par* titions and thetransverse supports above reiferredto I not only simplify the construction of the tray but assure the rotation of every egg when the apron is inoved. The advan tage gained attaching the operatinghandle i to the roller 2 that when the said roller 2 is turned so as to more tbe .apron 5in the direction of the armies shown in Fig. 2 the pull or stress occurs ith-st upon the under por tion of said apron and the u per portion thereof is pushed. 'lhus shoulr there be sag -iri the upper portion of the apron (such sag lOl ' svepei tlioso neer the middle of the apron Wfiyld be around the same, the entire interior area besubjected to an undesirable and injurious ltween the sides of the tray and above the vertical movement. w l apron being unobstructed Having described my invention what I Il In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 5 ola-im as new and desixe to secure by Letters i my own, I have hereto affixed my signature 15 Patent isz-- l in the presence of two Witnesses.

A device described comprising :i tray, i" JACOB E. FRANTZ. rollers joui'nalled therein at different altitudes, an endless incined apron supported ll) Wholly by sil-id rollers and adapted to move `Witnesses H. E. SEMMON, J. H. SLAUGHTER. 

